


Let's Take It Slow (And See Where We Go)

by XtaticPearl



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Awkward Flirting, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Canon Divergence - Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Canon Divergence - Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Companionable Snark, Developing Friendships, Emotionally Compromised, F/M, Facing Your Demons, Friendship, Frustration, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Natasha Romanov Is Human, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Past Will Haunt, References to Depression, Snark, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Steve Rogers Is Human, Talking, Team Dynamics, Tony Stark Is Human, Trust Issues, Truth Hurts But It Has To Be Told, Understanding, they're all human
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 06:51:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7674331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XtaticPearl/pseuds/XtaticPearl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Three days," Natasha clarified, sharing a glance with Sam who hesitated before nodding minutely, "That's not enough time to come to a decision."<br/>"And why is that? It is simple in its terms."<br/>"Yes for individuals, but we're a team," Sam spoke up, "And we try to get all opinions weighed in before coming to a decision. We'll need some more time."<br/>Ross looked like he was going to argue when Tony finally spoke up.<br/>"Two weeks," he said and Ross shot him a death glare that left him unfazed, "Two weeks and you'll get your answer Mr. Secretary."<br/>"That's too long a -"<br/>"Well, considering that you are asking us to decide our entire lives," Steve cut Ross short firmly but politely, "it is necessary that we take a wise decision. We wouldn't want a hasty and messed up result, would we?"</p><p>The story where the team actually discussed the Accords, worked together instead of jumping to decisions and Tony learnt about his parents' death before Zemo could try to expose the truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let's Take It Slow (And See Where We Go)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PriyaxRishabh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PriyaxRishabh/gifts).



> I'm currently writing chapters for two other fics of Post CACW but the whole angst and feels of it is weighing me down. So I decided to take a break with something a bit saner and logical without the unnecessary drama. I was so disappointed that we never got to see an actual, grown up discussion of the team, even remotely trying to find a middle path. They were all taking the easy way out according to their policies and the easy way out is not always the right one. Also, the movie showed them all as so freakin dumb with such major lapses in common sense that I can go on unending tirades for each character. I'm trying to show their smart side and I REALLY hope that I can achieve that here.  
> I have NOT abandoned any of my other works. It just so happens that some of them are a little too heavy to write off quickly and I keep rewriting chapters constantly. There will be updates for them soon too. Thank you all for your patience if you've read my other WIPs and please do stick around for this one too. <3
> 
> I've decided to dedicate this to my ranting buddy @PriyaXRishabh because he has endured my annoyed rants and has helped me get better perspective regarding all the characters of this darn film. I hope I do this justice for you buddy <3

Tony was extremely aware that Steve was shooting him surreptitious looks but he didn't look up from his phone or go forward to pull up a chair on the table. He knew that he was not an Avenger and was here only because as Iron Man he was still an American superhero apart from being the Avengers' chief benefactor. 

Of course, the other reason he was conveniently avoiding Steve's looks was that he knew why Ross had come over and he also knew that Steve would be utterly pissed when he would realize the reason. Sure, the Captain might or may not agree with the Accords when he would read it later, but Tony knew that he would definitely be pissed about the time-frame that Ross had been threatening him about since last night.

Three days. Three days to sign over their independence to the United Nations. Three days to decide if they were all going to remain an independent group that took decisions based on their judgement or if they were fine with being controlled by the UN. Tony knew that the UN wasn't SHIELD or the WSC. But he also knew that every organization had a point where corruption or misuse of power occurred. It was inevitable in the long run but so was the necessity for regulation of the Avengers. Without a visible line of difference, of control, they were no different from the bad guys. He knew that from Sokovia and Ultron.

Unfortunately, thanks to his genius brain that refused to stop having debates with itself, he also knew that this decision was up to the Avengers too, because Tony had retired and moreover, he was a citizen who could always choose to give up the suit if he wished. Some of the Avengers before him though, they were weapons in themselves. Wanda, Steve, Vision - there was nothing they could do to renounce their powers if they chose to not sign the document. Sure, they could retire but there was no guarantee that they could not use their strengths ever again in times of need. And from experience, Tony knew that the officials would watch them like hawks, swooping down on them if they even toed the line around the deal post-retirement. It was a no-win on both sides but necessary as well. Tony believed that they could work it to a compromise or a middle-path once they got through this initial urgency state, could alter and amend clauses once they had pledged their support. But would they be able to get all of them, the entire team, to agree to that in three days? That too, right after the incident in Lagos where the mistake had been ludicrous and honestly inexcusable to an extent. They  _had_ Crossbones and lost it all just because of a distraction. Tony knew all about distractions so he also knew that one coming to someone as powerful as Wanda or Steve was and could always be fatal.

He was debating these points in his head when he zoned back to the present to hear Ross lay down the last piece of information, telling them to give their decision within three days - just in time for the ratification.

"No, sorry, that can't be done" Tony was surprised to see Natasha speak up first but he was glad that she chose the right part to stand up on.

Ross paused and looked at her coolly with a confused expression.

"What can't be done?"

"Three days," Natasha clarified, sharing a glance with Sam who hesitated before nodding minutely, "That's not enough time to come to a decision."

"And why is that? It is simple in its terms."

"Yes for individuals, but we're a **team** ," Sam spoke up, "And we try to get all opinions weighed in before coming to a decision. We'll need some more time."

Ross looked like he was going to argue when Tony finally spoke up.

"Two weeks," he said and Ross shot him a death glare that left him unfazed, "Two weeks and you'll get your answer Mr. Secretary."

"That's too long a -"

"Well, considering that you are asking us to decide our entire lives," Steve cut Ross short firmly but politely, "it is necessary that we take a wise decision. We wouldn't want a hasty and messed up result, would we?"

"You are not actually suggesting that we tell the UN to wait for you, are you Captain?" Ross countered in an entirely too fake polite voice. Even Rhodey looked dubious when he shoots Steve a look but Tony realizes that he'd never get such an opening again and jumps on it.

"Sorry sir," he said cheekily, "You said that you wanted us to sign and I told you that we'll do it after discussion. I tried telling you that the time is short but you said that it was up to the real team to decide that bit. Well, the _real_ team has given you a counter-offer. You give us two weeks to think over this and decide and there won't be any further issues."

"If the UN is meeting up in three days, then we'd like to have a couple of our representatives there too," Natasha chimed in with a nod, "That way we'd be able to place our case directly."

They argue back and forth, respectfully but firmly, for what seems like an hour but is probably just twenty minutes. Tony watches with glee as everyone jumps in, including Vision, and put up a united front in demanding the extra time. This way he has no problems because Ross kept dangling the 'retired' tag over him before this meeting. He should probably not feel vindicated when Ross is cornered by his own tricks but Tony's always been a little petty and he likes it that way. So he shoots the guy a sloppy salute when Ross leaves and pretends to ignore the promising cold look he gets in return.

"You," he pointed to Natasha as soon as he came back from seeing Ross off, "You, Ms. Romanova, are a certified terror. I love it!"

"Sure," Natasha snorted and rolled her eyes when Tony plonked on the lounge settee that she was sitting on, reclining a bit and sighing deeply in relief as he closed his eyes with an arm over them.

"So" Rhodey begins as the others trickle in and Steve takes the chair in the center like the head of the family he presumes he is, with Rhodey and Sam standing on either side of him, Vision and Wanda sitting across Tony and Natasha, huddled a little closer than what seems platonic. "So," Rhodey says again, the way he only does when he's either bursting with information or a little too stunned by something, "what're we discussing for two whole weeks?"

"The reasons why this should not be signed?" Sam suggested and Tony sighed again for good measure as that set off both of them into one of their epic bickering rants.

"...Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have." Rhodey pointed out somewhere at the end of another defense of his.

Sam shook his head with an exasperated smile, "So let's say we agreed to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they lojack us like a bunch of common criminals?"

"117 countries wanna sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, "Nah, it's cool."" Rhodey made a face that showed what exactly he thought of Sam's sentiments.

"How long are you gonna play both sides?" Sam countered with a frown.

"I have an equation" Vision piped up calmly and both of them turned to look at the synthezoid.

"Oh, this'll clear it up" Sam said sarcastically but Vision ignored that bit and continued.

"In the 8 years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, a number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurable rate."

Steve spoke up at that and by this time Tony's head was bursting with the headache from the earlier BARF demonstration. "Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve asked and Tony had the real urge to roll his eyes at that over-simplification.

"I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict... breeds catastrophe. Oversight... Oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand." Vision offered and Tony was struck by the diplomacy of the synthezoid.

Rhodey exclaimed a quiet "Boom!" as though it was a personal victory to that. Tony huffed a small chuckle at that and rolled his eyes for real, because he knew that nothing was decided yet.

"Tony?" Natasha called out and Tony peeked out from under his arm ,"You are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal."

"That's 'cause he's already made up his mind" Steve commented and Tony shot him an unimpressed look before getting up and walking towards the kitchen

"Boy, you know me so well." he snarked back before speaking up ,"Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache. That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort.". He picks up a mug of coffee to down some pain medication and grimaced at the disposal , "Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a Bed and Breakfast for a biker gang?"

Shaking his head at that, he put up his phone on the table and an image popped up from it.

"Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He's a great kid." he explained casually even though his eyes were serious, "Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA. Had a floor-level gig, an intel plan for the fall. But first he wanted to put a few miles on his sole before he parked it behind a desk. See the world, maybe be of service. Charlie didn't wanna go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where: Sokovia. He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kickin' ass..." he paused and gathered his thoughts before adding, "If we can't accept limitations, without boundaries, we're no better than the bad guys. Maybe not the Accords but we DO need something to keep us in check. Are you really not seeing that we need accountability?"

Steve made a displeased sound and commented, "Tony, you're making this about guilt. Accountability does not mean that we become weapons in the hands of people who would not know where to draw the line on our powers. What happened in the past is not the basis for taking decisions of the present always. People change, situations change. If someone dies on your watch, you don't give up."

"Who said we're giving up?"

"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame."

"Sorry, Steve, that..." Rhodey shook his head in disagreement, "that is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Council, it's not S.H.I.E.L.D., it's not Hydra."

"No, but it's run by people with agendas and agendas change."

Tony jumped on that point. "That's good! That's why I'm here." he explained, "When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down. Stopped manufacturing. The same way, if this goes the wrong way I can mediate the terms."

"Tony, you **chose**  to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if there's somewhere we need to go and they don't let us? We may not be perfect but the safest hands are still our own."

Tony wanted to agree with that, he really did but he also knew that there was always another side. "I'm not saying let's sign immediately or let's go rebel 117 countries. But I want you to consider some things before we make any decisions. If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later." he warned calmly, "That's the fact. That won't be pretty. I just want you to consider that part before you push this off the table completely."

"You're saying they'll come for me." Wanda surmised.

"We would protect you." Vision assured and Tony felt his head throb with all the arguments.

"Look," he sighed when Wanda didn't look convinced and Natasha looked like she was going to speak up, "We've got two weeks. Let's...let's not jump into it right away maybe. Cap, you and I both know that we have to take a decision that'll keep the team together. That's the bottom line here along with making sure that we be accountable."

"And if it doesn't come to that?" Natasha spoke up, "If the only way to stay together is to sign?"

"Then we cross that bridge when we've ruled everything else out," Steve offered even though Tony could read on his face that he was not going to sign. 

"I think," Vision said after a moment's silence, "that we have not read the document well enough to take decisions now. Haste is never advised for matters of diplomacy and as Mr. Stark pointed out, we do have time to go over each aspect of this document. I would suggest that we read it thoroughly and present our cases with suggestions to counter the problems we find."

"Oooh, homework," Sam made a face but nodded when Steve tilted his head up to get his opinion. 

"I still think there is no doubt in signing this," Rhodey repeated and Tony shrugged at him.

"Yes, but no harm in discussing, right?" Wanda countered and Rhodey muttered something that suspiciously sounded like  _not gonna change the facts_ but nodded shortly. Tony grinned weakly at his best friend and threw him a wink that got a rude eye-roll in return.

Steve got a text message then and Tony noticed him clenching his phone a tad too tightly before he excused himself and walked away. He shared a look with Natasha who looked at Sam who simply shrugged.

He needn't have worried though because he got a similar message just minutes later.

******

"You're sure you don't want Nat to come instead?" Sam asked as they got into the car and Steve shot him a look but shook his head, leaning back against the seat as Sam drove them to the church.

His head is still reeling from the news and all the thoughts about the Accords are just jarring on the current grief. He knew Natasha well enough by now to know that she would want to choose an option that would keep them all together but he didn't want to pay the price for that with freedom or the well-being of the people who trusted him. He didn't begrudge her but he couldn't, in any manner, give up on his caution now, especially not after what he had been witness to with SHIELD. It wasn't as easy as Rhodes claimed it to be and Steve was thankful that they had two weeks to think through this.

He really wasn't in the mood to make any choice right now. Not with her gone.

His Peggy. The beautiful, dynamic woman who had changed Steve's life all those years ago. Whom Steve never got to dance with. Who ended up with a family of her own and still managed to love Steve, even if it was different now. Steve would never be able to let go of her memories and he didn't feel up to it to keep a distance at the moment. Sam doesn't say a word throughout the drive and Steve felt thankful for the man's silence. 

As they enter the church, Steve has a moment of insecurity, wondering if Peggy's family would be here and what he should say to them because he hasn't had a chance to meet them. All those fears and insecurities are assuaged though, when her daughter recognizes him immediately and insists that he comes and joins the family in the front row. Sam is welcomed too and Steve blindly follows the instruction, feeling overwhelmed and humbled by the acceptance. 

When the speeches begin, he almost zones out but then Sam elbows him all of a sudden and he blinks up to see someone very familiar walking up to the podium.

Sharon. Nurse Kate. Sharon  _Carter_ apparently. 

He feels stunned but quickly focuses on what she says, staring back at her as she finds his gaze and holds it. Peggy's niece. It feels surreal but Steve doesn't find himself cheated or wary. For some reason, he feels grounded, knowing that Peggy's legacy continues with someone who is just as spirited as her. Her speech shows her inspiration and motivation, providing a sense of clarity to Steve as well. 

_"Compromise where you can. Where you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say, 'No, *you* move'."_

The thought sticks by him as the service draws to an end, as he carries Peggy's coffin along with the others, and as he politely skips the food arranged. He comes back to the church, now empty and silent, to find someone waiting for him.

"Beautiful service," Natasha comments and Steve raises an eyebrow.

"Yes, it was," he agrees, "I really don't want to talk about the Accords right now, Nat."

"I know" she hums and he frowns.

"Then what're you doing here?"

"I didn't want you to be alone," she shrugged and he felt himself crumpling a bit, taking a ragged breath when she held out her arms and hugged him soothingly.

"You didn't have to" he whispered into her hair and she swatted him lightly on his head.

"Don't be insufferable" she chided before leaning back with a soft smile, "And besides, I didn't come here just for you."

When Steve frowned in confusion she shook her head in exasperation.

"Should have known he wouldn't tell you," she muttered under her breath but simply guided Steve out of the empty church to the hotel where the other guests were.

Steve soon found out whom Natasha meant when he spotted Sharon talking animatedly to someone extremely familiar. The trademark glasses and goatee could never be replaced.

"Really?" he raised an eyebrow and Natasha snorted as she kissed his cheek and excused herself to go somewhere.

"I've got to catch a jet to Vienna" she explained and rolled her eyes when Steve's eyebrows raised, "It's just to represent us, Steve. We can't snub the UN even before we come to a decision."

"You going alone?"

Natasha flicked a glance at Tony and nodded. "For now" she offered and squeezed Steve's arm once before leaving with a mock-stern "Behave".

Steve watches her go and walks towards Sharon and Tony. Tony is the one who catches him coming first and raises a hand in acknowledgement prompting Sharon to turn and notice him.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," Steve said as he joined them and Tony grinned at Sharon.

"Nah, can't talk to her more than this long," he made a face, "She gets all lecture-y otherwise."

Sharon punched Tony in the arm but with a small smirk. "Yeah, yeah, we all know how allergic you are to sane conversations," she teased and Tony mock-shuddered.

"So, Sharon **Carter** , huh?" Steve interjected, a little weirded out by this strange bonding and Sharon shrugged apologetically but Tony crowed with a knowing light in his eyes.

"Oh My God! You didn't tell him?" he laughed smugly, chuckling harder at the punch he dodged from Sharon again, "I get not flaunting to SHIELD but you kept it a secret from Cap too? Aww, come on Ronnie, there's a limit to good work ethics, isn't there?"

"Not all of us like to flaunt our surnames shamelessly, Stark," Sharon shot back but with a teasing smirk.

"Ah, but that's what smart people do, Ronnie-poo" Tony waggled his eyebrows and winked at the dirty glare he got from Sharon, turning to address Steve finally.

"Sorry Cap, this is what happens when I meet this lunatic," he gestures towards Sharon who simply rolls her eyes like she's used to this, "You probably don't have a clue why I'm here, huh?"

"A bit, yes," Steve replied dryly and Tony nodded.

"Ah, so, I'm not just your one good friend's son but also another...well,  _good friend_ 's godson," he shrugs and Steve blinks before processing the fact that Tony is Peggy's godson.

"That's...kind of explanatory in itself," he manages to reply and Tony snorts but bows out of his conversation with Sharon, leaving with a small peck on her cheek and a nod to Steve.

Steve watched Tony go, presumably back to either the Compound or the HQ where he would need to talk to Ross, especially after the earlier stunt of the Avengers refusing the three day offer.

"He's a bit closed off on revealing his secrets," he hears Sharon say and turns to look at her, "Took him almost two decades to talk to me itself. He had a problem with reliving any relationship with people who reminded him of his past so...well, better late than never, right?"

"Seems like a lot of people think so," Steve reminds her pointedly but she doesn't shy away from accepting that and they get talking about her job at the CIA now, her reasons for keeping her surname a secret and much more trivial things. They end up talking and sharing a lot of things from the past and the present, so much so that Steve doesn't realize that he has stayed a long time.

Till Sam comes up to tell them that they have bad news.

He watches as the news shows Bucky being responsible for the bombing of the UN building. Sharon tells him that she has to go into work and Steve realizes that he has to too, even if not in Captain America's uniform.

*****

Natasha felt like pulling her hair out when Steve called just after T'Challa blatantly threatened to kill Barnes when he caught up to him. With the speed that things were going downhill, she had a feeling that they would all be forced to either sign the Accords immediately or be thrown into prison.

She looked down at her phone and picked up the call with a wary "Yeah".

"You're alright?" Steve's voice came immediately and Natasha was parts relieved and suspicious.

"Uh. Yeah. Thanks. I got lucky."

It was only then that she caught the sounds of the sirens and stood up slowly, looking around her. Of course Steve wouldn't just call and ask, especially when Bucky was involved. She felt like cursing him but opted to warn him instead.

"Steve, I can hear the sirens and I know you're here," she informed him bluntly before adding, "I know how much Barnes means to you. I really do... Stay home. You'll only make this worse for all of us. Please."

"Are you saying I'll get arrested?"

"If you interfere" Yes, that's how it works now" she replied, desperately hoping that he took her advice.

"If he's this far gone, Nat. I should be the one to bring him in" Steve sounded stubborn and Natasha took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Why?"

"Cause I'm the one least likely to die trying" he said quietly and cut the call, leaving her frustrated and tired. She knew that this would only complicate things. She knew that the pressure would only heighten with anything Steve did.

She also knew that there was only one person who could handle this now and fast.

Putting through a call from her speed-list, she waited for a second till his voice came through.

"Steve's going after Barnes" she said without preamble, "If he gets caught, we're all doomed. Neither the UN nor Ross will let us go without either signing or landing in jail. You know what to do."

She heard a frustrated sigh from the other end before the call ended and she pinched the bridge of her nose, wondering why she always had to play interference to the guys of her team.

******

Steve could hear Sam give him an update of the ETA from the containment team and tried to get Bucky to come with him. 

"Good strategy" Bucky commented blandly and Steve tried to make him see reason when he saw a familiar red and gold armour come in through the balcony and before he could react, shoot at Barnes.

"BUCKY!" he shouted and moved forward to stop him from crumpling but Tony came in between and Steve tried to push him away.

"Calm down!" Tony snapped and Steve growled in his face but Tony was never intimidated by Steve even before, "It was a tranquilizing dart, dumbass! Now let's move before the team gets here"

"I can't leave him alone here! They have -"

"Orders to shoot on sight?" Tony asked wryly and the faceplate snapped up to reveal a glaring Tony, "What exactly do you take the US justice system for? The Taliban? They're here to contain him and take him back to the HQ. And if they find you here, then EVERYBODY is done. So shut up and move your ass. Let's go."

"T'Challa will kill him!" Steve snarled and Tony rolled his eyes before grabbing Steve by the waist and jumping out the balcony.

"Stop squirming or I'll drop you!" Tony hissed and Steve glowered at the helmet, "And leave T'Challa to me. Actually, leave him to Rhodes."

"What?"

"I'll explain, but shut up for now, till we land somewhere," Tony grunted and flew low enough, landing them both on an open construction sight gracelessly.

"Explain now" Steve jabbed a finger at Tony's metal chest and Tony raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

"First of all, when one of your team-mates, one of the smarter ones at least, tells you to stay down and not make a mess try to listen," Tony began with a mocking expression on his face and continued before Steve could counter anything, "Secondly, stop playing with the law. This is not the right time for that and this coming from  **me** is gigantic in itself, but seriously, don't bait the government or other authorities. It's not just about you anymore. You've got a team that's trusting you. Don't fucking throw all that away because you think you can do everything. Third, T'Challa cannot kill Barnes. If he does, then it's basically inviting trouble to Wakanda. He's hurt, he's angry, he's not seeing clearly. But he cannot kill a man without a trial. Especially with evidence as flimsy as this. A face-detection that's  _this_ grainy? I know my tech and I'm telling you that it's not enough evidence. So if they shoot him or T'Challa mauls him or whatever, they fall into  **deep** trouble. Are you getting my points till now?"

"If he wakes up then he's going to kill whoever has him contained" Steve countered even though he looks a bit calmer right now.

"You're just making excuses because you finally found your buddy and you don't wanna let go," Tony snorted and Steve's face reddened with indignation but Tony waved it off and continued, "That's okay, I get it, sentimentality and stuff but honestly Cap, you need to learn to be a little less predictable. He's not going to kill anyone, especially if he's managed to stay hidden for so long. That's not a man who wants to kill, that's a man who wants to stay alive."

"Tony, you don't -"

"Actually, I do," Tony narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at Steve, "which is why I'm letting Rhodes handle T'Challa and Barnes. He's still with the government technically and they called him for help with this containment. Something you would have found out if you had, I don't know,  _listened to Natasha_. And...here, see? According to this tracking data, Rhodey's already got Barnes."

Steve stared at the holograph projection from Tony's wrist. "How do you know it's Bucky?"

"The dart had a tracer in it too," Tony shrugged and Steve glared at him but Tony never really minded those glares nowadays. 

"Sam!" Steve exclaimed suddenly and looked worried, "I need to call Sam! He was there with me!"

"Yeah, I know, and now he's probably in some cafe or something, keeping cover." Tony replied with a roll of his eyes, "Let's just say that Sam is smarter than you and knows when to take a better option, alright? And that he trusts Natasha more than you do, clearly."

"I trust Nat, I just didn't want anyone to get hurt" Steve shot back a bit petulantly.

"Sure, Cap" Tony said in a voice that clearly said that he called Steve's bluff, "Now come on, we've got to get back and you've got to face the Black Widow's disappointed lecture. Don't think she'll let you skip it."

Steve looked skeptical for a minute till he let go of a tense breath and nodded.

"Thanks Tony" he said quietly and Tony nodded with a knowing look before his faceplate came back and he caught Steve by the waist, carrying him back to the HQ.

Mid-flight, Tony gets a call from Sam telling him that he needed to compensate a bar owner because of some bar fight that Sam "had no involvement in except for maybe just one punch". Tony sighed in a long-suffering way even though he was grinning. At least somethings were still entertaining.

*****

"Are you out of your  _mind_?" Sam asked the stoic looking Rhodes and saw Tony pinch the bridge of his nose before gesturing Steve to accompany him to a more secluded section where they could watch and monitor Bucky's 'interrogation'. "No really," Sam gestured towards Rhodey vaguely, "Have you completely lost it?"

"Why, because I know what I'm doing?" Rhodey asked with a sharp look and Sam laughed bitterly.

"Jesus, Rhodes, do you really want to do this? We all agreed to have a discussion later, right?" Sam shook his head tiredly.

"I believe in this, Sam," Rhodey countered calmly, "The Accords are right for us, for the world and its peace. Just because we're given the power doesn't mean that we should not be regulated. Look, being an Avenger is great. It's a big responsibility. But we both know why this group came together in the first place. We owe this to the people, to those who are unsure of us now."

"And you can't wait to sign this till  _after_ this whole mess is over?" Sam gestured towards the monitors which showed an arrested Bucky in a confinement.

"I know my decision," Rhodes said simply and Sam made a strangled sound of frustration before shaking his head and going away to join Steve, Sharon, Natasha and Tony in the glass room.

His eyes lock with Steve's when he enters and Steve doesn't say a word, simply nodding before he turns back to the monitors. Sam is grateful for that because Rhodey is his friend and he doesn't really want to parade how disappointed or hurt he is about this development.

"Something's strange" Natasha commented and Steve's brows furrowed as he peered at the screen closer, "I don't know what but, something seems off."

"Paranoia" Sam reminds her from their joke during the Lagos mission and Natasha quirks her lips once but then Steve shakes his head, turning to Tony.

"No, I think Nat's right, something seems off. Tony can you bring up the audio of the -"

"Done" Tony taps in a few keys on the control of the cameras and the audio filters in, proving that Natasha's intuition was right.

"Oh come on!" Sam groaned as the psychiatrist who had been 'assigned' by the authorities began asking irrelevant questions and Natasha cursed when the Russian words started.

"What the fuck do they mean?" Tony asked even as they ran towards the exit.

"They're triggers!" she spat viciously, looking enraged at whoever the stranger was. Steve took off towards Bucky's position and Sam followed him while Sharon, Natasha and Tony took towards the ground level, already anticipating an escape-attempt.

"Please tell me you have your suit!" Natasha grunted as they rushed downstairs and Tony rolled his eyes.

"Yes, a nice Tom Ford three piece suit," he shot back, "I'm here as a civilian Nat, you think if I take the suit we won't have a shit ton of mess dropping our way?"

"Fine, take position!" she barked and rushed behind Sharon, leaving Tony to try and stop Barnes whenever he came down, with just a deflector glove in hand.

Meanwhile in the containment room, Steve and Sam reached just a few seconds too late and saw as Bucky Barnes transformed into the Winter Soldier. Sam muttered a string of curses before trying to stop both Barnes and the stranger douche who had brought this on. As before, he proved to be no match for the cold ruthlessness of the Winter Soldier and found himself blacking out soon enough, helplessly watching as the stranger walked away scott free.

******

Steve gave chase to Bucky, getting back up every time he got thrown down. He didn't have time to try the old 'I'm Steve, recognize me' routine this time. Bucky was a man on a mission and the mission seemed to be escaping the premises of the building. When he got thrown down the lift, Steve managed to cling to one of the cables mid-fall and cursed his luck, hoping that the others would have it better even as he looked for ways to get out and back into the fight.

Tony was the first one to encounter the Winter Soldier from the ground floor triad. The other agents and security staff were falling like autumn leaves in match to the Soldier's moves and Tony paused enough to think about his attack plan, which hey, he  **could** plan before attacking sometimes. When he saw the Soldier stalk towards the stairwell, he made his move, sending a sharp sonic distortion wave his wave that seemed to make the guy waver a bit. Maybe Tony should have tried that again but he wasn't called cocky without reason and that manifested in him jumping into direct attack.

He's got training from Rhodey, Happy, Nat and Steve in the past. He really isn't defenseless or an amateur at hand-to-hand combat, no matter what people presumed about the guy who has a metal suit to safeguard him. So, yes, Tony can defend himself against attacks. But this isn't someone who feels anything, by the looks of it, and Tony really doesn't want to hurt him all that bad. He catches the gun and smirks thinking that he could end it but then the Soldier pulls a maneuver so fast that Tony is left with only seconds to hold the nozzle of the gun in time for the bullet.

The shattering of his glasses leave him shocked and the Soldier uses that to his advantage to throw Tony away. 

Sharon tries her luck and lands a few solid kicks to the head and punches but she is no match for the Soldier's strength and is crashed into a glass surface. The only one left is Natasha and Tony hopes fervently that the Black Widow delivers again this time.

Natasha is vicious, as vicious as the Soldier, and unlike Steve she has no qualms about fighting dirty. She fights like a street fighter, landing kicks, biting, even throwing a few solid junk punches. She swings up to pull her fatal thigh maneuver but gets stuck when the metal hand clamps on her waist and is left pounding into the Soldier's head with her bare fists till she is thrown down onto a table and the the metal hand chokes her throat.

She tries to break free but the Soldier is too far gone and continues to choke even as she whispers a hoarse "You could at least remember me" as a desperate attempt. When it looks like he'll kill her, an unexpected savior comes into play.

T'Challa kicks Barnes off Natasha and begins fighting in that calm and controlled manner of his, all cat-like and animalistic in strength. Tony got to his feet while T'Challa kept the Soldier engaged and saw two options in front of him: 

1\. Help T'Challa end the fight

2\. Get to the obvious escape point the Soldier is aiming for to catch him there.

Leaving the Wakandan King with the Winter Soldier, he decides to take the second option but finds himself keeling over with a sudden pain in his chest. He thinks he sees Natasha's face hover over him for a second before he blacks out.

******

Steve managed to get to the roof in time, just to see Bucky get the chopper started. With a push of his entire strength, he leaped forward to hold the chopper's base rail and  _pulled_ , trying to bring it back to the ground. He didn't have back up and he didn't know how the rest of his team was faring but he couldn't give space to those thoughts as he focused on restraining Bucky from running away again.

It was a struggle that made Steve wish that they had the Hulk or Thor but he held on, struggling between the chopper and the roof's railing. He was almost successful when the chopper jerked and he pulled harder only to get the chopper to crash down into the water, pulling him down too. He has seconds to spare where he resurfaces and then goes back underwater to pull an unconscious Bucky out of the chopper, swimming to the shore.

Sam must be a God send because he somehow manages to find them on the shore and drags them both to an abandoned basement nearby. On Sam's insistence, they buckle up Bucky to one of the machinery with the strongest cuff they have, which Tony had once designed for Thor.

"You think he'll be Barnes when he wakes up?" Sam asked disbelievingly as they watched the unconscious man.

"I think we'll find out soon enough," Steve replied firmly before walking over to one of the small windows to keep an eye out for choppers.

Sam shook his head muttering about stubborn friends and got settled into Bucky-sitting. When they heard sounds coming from the entrance of the basement, both Steve and Sam sat up in high alert. Steve gestured Sam to stay hidden till his signal and was ready for attack when they heard the familiar voices of Tony and Natasha.

"-fine! I keep telling you that! Is my voice getting deflected before it reaches your ears?!" Tony groans and they hear Natasha hissing something, too low for them to gather the actual words, but enough to know that she sounds pissed.

"OH MY GOD YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY MY MOTHER SO STOP - oh hey guys," Tony cuts off his rant when they finally see Steve and Sam staring at them, Natasha still looking murderous, "So, where's our Manchurian Candidate?"

"Manchurian wh - Bucky's unconscious," Steve gestured behind him, ignoring the pop culture reference and turning towards Natasha, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Tony replied instead of her and Sam snorted when Steve ignored Tony and kept staring at Natasha.

Natasha glared at Tony and both of them have some sort of silent conversation after which she turns back to Steve and shook her head silently.

"Nat ..."

"We have more urgent things to look into, Steve," she cut him short and Steve frowned at her but nodded, taking them to see Bucky.

"Any information on who our stranger douche was?" Sam asked and diverted the attention off Tony. The genius shook his head in irritation, hating that he still couldn't get hold of the elusive rat. Natasha nudged Tony on the shoulder and brought him back to the present.

"Whoever he is, he definitely knew about the Accords," Natasha stated and continued, looking between Steve and Tony as Sam slipped away to continue his Bucky-watch, "The bombing of the UN, the Russian words, him slipping through as the government assigned psych. All of these are not coincidental. Somehow this person is linked to all of them and has access to something bigger if he was desperate to trigger the Winter Soldier."

"Well, conspiration theories aside, what I'm really interested is in knowing how he got those trigger words," Tony chimed in and Natasha hummed in agreement.

"Whoever we're dealing with, he has a link to Bucky's past and is trying to use him to get something done," Steve stated and Tony nodded vaguely but looked lost, mind running probabilities.

"We must be missing something though," Natasha mused, "Every event is leading to another in a chain that -"

"- involves all of us," Tony finished her thought and Natasha raised an eyebrow at him curiously.

"You got a theory, Tony?" Steve asked, knowing that Tony was the fastest in cracking codes.

"No, not yet, but somehow all of this seems like a distraction," Tony shook his head with a small frown and Steve mirrored the expression.

"Like Loki?"

"I don't -"

"Hey Steve! He's up!" Sam called out from inside and all three of them shared a look before going in. Steve put a hand out to stop Tony from entering and the genius scowled at him.

"Let me verify a few things first" Steve suggested and Tony raised an arch eyebrow.

"And you think that I can't handle myself while you do that?"

"I think that you'd do well as back-up if what I verify doesn't turn out positive," Steve corrected and Tony blinked before shrugging in what he thought was a nonchalant manner. Both Steve and Natasha didn't call his bluff and Steve made a gesture to Natasha, indicating that she should stay outside as well. The Russian narrowed her eyes but acquiesced much to Tony's visible smug gleeful smirk. 

Steve took a deep breath and went forward, coming into the light and took in Bucky's expression as the guy came into consciousness.

"Bucky...do you know me?" he asked cautiously.

Bucky didn't answer for a minute, looking at the floor, before he looked up and stared straight at Steve.

"Your mom's _name was Sarah_." Bucky spoke up in a raspy voice before adding with a small grin "You used to wear _newspapers_  in _your_ _shoes_ "

Steve felt his throat constrict and swallowed hard through a small smile of relief. This was Bucky, his best friend and brother. He had a mission at hand though and quickly squashed the jubilance of Bucky's return.

"The man who spoke to you, do you know what he wanted?" he asked and heard rather than saw Natasha come in.

"I don't know" Bucky shook his head.

"Buck, people are dead. Whatever the guy, the doctor whoever he was, whatever he wanted he went to a lot of trouble to get to you. A lot of innocent people were killed just so he could get you here. I need you to do better than that," Steve pressed and Bucky's face fell a bit but he swallowed and closed his eyes.

"He...he asked about Siberia", Bucky said with a struggling frown, "He mentioned something about the mission..."

"Siberia? What's there?" Sam asked and Bucky shook his head like he was clearing cobwebs off his brain before he froze and looked up with a resigned yet haunted look.

"The others"

"Other who?" Natasha asked and Bucky's eyes glanced at her.

"Winter Soldiers" he said and everybody stilled.

"I'm sorry, did you hurt your head harder than we thought?" Tony's voice came from behind and Steve turned to shoot him a look that got ignored in favor of the genius coming in, eyes fixed on Bucky, "Did you just say that Dr. Douche did all this to get to you and now is going half-way across the world to search for...you?"

"Not me, the others," Bucky shook his head, still looking at Natasha, "I'm not the only Winter Soldier."

"Well, that's interesting", Sam commented and Tony shot him an amused look.

"Bucky, are you sure?" Steve confirmed once more, his mind reeling with the new information.

"There are five more Winter Soldiers," Bucky nodded slowly and Tony began laughing. Finally, Bucky's eyes snapped from Natasha to Tony and he froze all over again.

"There's just no stopping you serumed-people, is there?" Tony chuckled and Natasha rolled her eyes at him, "I mean, here I thought that we have only two problems and now, the gift keeps on giving. Wow, the disasters just don't stop."

"Tony" Steve shot him a look but Tony only snorted and rolled his eyes, waving a vague hand for Steve to continue.

"Stark..." Bucky breathed and Tony frowned, looking at Bucky.

"Uhh...you know me?" he asked, looking between Steve and Bucky. 

"I knew your...oh God!" Bucky's eyes widened and Steve looked worried even as Tony tilted his head and considered Bucky curiously.

"Do you remember your 1940s time? Because that would mean that you remember my dad," he suggested, keeping a sharp eye on Bucky.

"I remember your dad," Bucky nodded and Tony raised an eyebrow, feeling wary yet impressed but then Bucky continued in words that stole the air from all their lungs.

"I killed him."

*********

"You knew"

"Tony, it was an indication in Zola's files," Steve tried explaining but Tony simply continued to glare at him.

"You  _knew_ "

"Tony, please listen to -"

"You son-of-a-bitch, you knew for  _two years_!" Tony snarled and Steve winced a bit but nodded hesitantly.

"I'm sorry, Tony, I swear I am," Steve said earnestly, "I didn't know for sure and I wasn't even sure if Bucky was still him in the Soldier. After DC, I wanted to get him back first and then, when the time was right, I would have told you."

"Really? When the time was right? And when would that have been, dickhead?" Tony spat, clenching and unclenching his fists at his side.

"When he would have regained his memories enough to tell us what happened," Steve replied, "Tony, it wasn't -- it wasn't him, you've got to understand that it was Hydra who were controlling him, please."

"And who was controlling you?" Tony threw back.

"I know, I know that I hurt you and I'm sorry. Tony, I really am," Steve tried again and Tony opened his mouth to snap something before letting out a harsh breath.

"I cannot believe that you had the fucking gall to give  _me_ the trust speech and communication speech during Ultron's fiasco," Tony laughed bitterly and glared at Steve, "At least mine was research, something meant for a good reason even though it went wrong. What was yours meant for?! You're such a hypocrite, Rogers!"

"Tony, I just wanted to protect -"

"Who? Your best friend who wasn't even there at that time?!"

"-you. I thought I was protecting you," Steve said quietly and Tony narrowed his eyes.

"Protecting me?! From fucking what?"

"The pain" Steve's voice was subdued and Tony sneered.

"Well, you thought wrong, didn't you _Cap_?" he scoffed, "The only person you were protecting was  _yourself_!"

Steve didn't say anything and simply stared at Tony with guilty eyes till the genius scoffed one more time and turned to go back inside where Natasha was discussing something with Bucky.

Tony ignored the softly said "I know" that Steve said and marched in to talk to the ex-assassins.

"What other secrets are you sharing, Romanoff?" he growled as he entered and Natasha shot him an unimpressed look but Bucky stood stock still.

"Stark, I just wanted -- I wanted to apolo -"

"Save it" Tony cut Bucky short with a hard look before turning back to Natasha, "We've got someone else to stop right now. Keep your apologies to yourself till later."

"Actually, I can't," Bucky said and Tony glared at him till Natasha cleared her throat.

"I'm going to go talk to the other two," she told both of them calmly, "You boys need to clear some things out till then."

Without bothering to get a reply, she walked out, leaving both of them alone/

"You hate me" Bucky stated and Tony chuckled bitterly.

"Well, you  _did_ murder my mother," he said viciously but Bucky simply nodded.

"You're right. I did," he said and Tony waited for an excuse, any explanation but he got none.

"That's it? 'I did'? That's all you've got?" he asked with narrowed eyes and Bucky shrugged self-deprecatingly.

"I didn't have a choice in hurting anyone. I don't have a choice in getting forgiveness from anyone as well." he said simply and Tony stared at him for a minute before taking a step closer but Bucky didn't flinch.

"What do you want now?" Tony asked in a low growl, "Because forgiveness is not something I can give."

"I don't want anything," Bucky shook his head and Tony found his pale eyes open and expecting attack but not reacting to anything, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I can't ask for your forgiveness but I can tell you I'm sorry, right?"

Tony stared at him for a few more minutes, searching for something in his face before he took a step back and breathed out.

"Just get this mission done" he said heavily before turning around to leave.

******

"No"

"Tony, we can't risk it. We have to go right away" Steve tried and Tony's jaw worked but he spoke to Natasha.

"Look, whoever Dr. Douche is, he's expecting the Soldier to come to Siberia and if his predictions have been right so far, he'll also expect Rogers to follow him," he explained.

"Also, if one of us goes right now, we go against the law and the government. What with the restrictions on us currently," Natasha nodded in agreement.

"So Barnes has to go but someone else should go with him?" Sam asked thoughtfully and Tony nodded once, shooting a look at Bucky who was standing at a respectable distance from all of them, looking over a car. 

"Maybe if we tried Clint or -"

"No frickin way" Tony ruled that out immediately and Sam blinked at him while Steve shot Tony a knowing look, "We are  _not_ involving people who are not already involved. Especially someone who has retired."

"Okay, alright," Sam raised his hands defensively and turned to look at Steve, "Then who?"

"Definitely someone who can handle supersoldiers," Natasha mused thoughtfully,

"Guys, I should go with Bucky," Steve said again and this time Tony glared at him.

"Sure, you'll go with your buddy over there and then when the government finds out that you went out of reservation, trying to apprehend a criminal you have a personal interest vested in, we'll have a wonderful time with the Accords," he reminded bitterly, "Why don't you go ahead and drop your shield in this spirit. You know what, maybe you both should also run away and settle down in some unknown country, to keep the stupid ideas rolling? Hmm? What say?"

"What Einstein over here means," Natasha said pointedly, "is that if you go then we are at a disadvantage knowing the way the events are unfolding. Steve, this guy is working us in our weak points. We can't be any more obvious."

"Try getting Mr. Obtuse here to see that," Tony muttered under his breath and Steve shot him a look but nodded nonetheless.

"Vision" Sam spoke up suddenly and the others stared at him, "Vision is strong enough to tackle super-soldiers and he has no distractions as such. He'll be able to get this done easily."

"Vision is safeguarding Wanda currently," Tony mused before turning sharply at Sam, "Perfect! You should swap places with Vision."

"What?" Steve blinked.

"Sam should go stay with Wanda and Vision can go with the Manchurian Candidate," Tony gestured with restless hands.

"Why exactly does Wanda need oversight right now?" Sam asked Natasha.

"Because she's the only one among us who's not an American citizen, who has powers that threaten everyone according to the government and has the most recent mission mess up on her head," Natasha replied and Steve looked like he was going to protest but Natasha quelled him with a blunt look.

"Are you sure Vision will manage it?" Steve asked Tony instead of commenting on Wanda.

"He handled Ultron just fine," Tony shrugged, "Moreover, we need Dr. Douche alive, not dead. And Vision is good at getting that done when needed."

Steve looked pensive for a few seconds before he nodded with determination. Explaining the mission to Bucky went smoothly, with Natasha clarifying the details of getting the doctor guy back alive, so that they could prove Bucky's innocence in the UN bombing. Tony slipped away for a while as Bucky got the details right and they waited for Vision to come as Sam flew to take his place in the Compound.

Steve thought of talking to Tony but he resisted that in favor of giving the man his space, especially since Tony couldn't react to the big news properly at the moment. When Tony came back after a while, Vision had already come and Bucky was getting ready with his metal arm.

"Here" Tony thrust a comm like device into Bucky's hand and Bucky caught it reflexively.

"What's that?" Natasha peered at the device and Steve looked at Tony curiously.

"A global translator" Tony said simply before elaborating at the perplexed looks he got, "It's like the Pilot thing that came out months ago but only more advanced. You wear these ear-pieces and set your preferences to a language you understand. If somebody speaks in a different language, the pieces catch the words and automatically translate them into the language you've selected. No matter what language the person in front of you speaks."

Natasha looked impressed and Steve looked stunned but Bucky was still confused.

"What do I do with it?" he asked and Tony sighed.

"He already triggered you once with those Russian words, right?" Tony asked and waited till he got a nod, "So if this time he attempts it, all you'll hear is the English version of the words. You won't hear the Russian because that'll be translated automatically. You don't get triggered by the English version too, do you?"

Bucky stared with a shocked expression at Tony and mutely shook his head to a pleased nod from the genius.

"Good. That means he can't trigger you again," Tony said simply and Bucky opened his mouth only to shut it and look at Steve.

"Tony..." Steve breathed finally, clearing his throat before continuing, "That's absolutely genius work."

"Are you surprised?" Tony narrowed his eyes and Steve shook his head with a sad but soft smile.

"No, I guess I'm not"

"This -- thanks, Stark," Bucky spoke up finally and Tony tore away his gaze from Steve's grateful expression to nod once at Bucky before clapping his hand and turning to Vision, rambling about mission specifics.

"He's still mad at you" Natasha whispered near Steve and the Captain sighed with a nod.

"I know," he said, looking up at Tony, "But I'll try to apologize again."

"Might take you a lot more times than you think," she insisted and he shrugged lightly.

"Doesn't matter. I hurt him. He's my friend," he said simply and turned his head to catch Natasha's stare turn pleased for a second before it went back to being impassive.

Finally, when Bucky and Vision left for Siberia in the stealth jet Natasha had procurred from one of the hangars at HQ, Steve squeezed Bucky's shoulder once reassuringly.

"Till the end of the line," he said but Bucky simply nodded.

"I'll be back, punk"

"Hey Barnes," Tony called out as they were getting into the jet and Bucky turned to see Tony looking like he was struggling with some statement. 

"Bring back Dr. Douche alive," Tony said finally and Bucky nodded once more shooting Steve a look before he went in.

"This might just be the biggest risk we've bet on" Natasha commented as they watched the jet take off.

"Well, I bet $3 million at Vegas once," Tony commented in return.

"As long as it doesn't come back in body count, we might just be fine," Steve added in finally and neither Tony nor Natasha commented but all three of them knew that they agreed.

***********

"A video" Tony repeated, staring at Vision dumbfounded as people behind him were bustling with activity.

"Yes, a video" Vision nodded and Sam sounded like he had hacked on a fur-ball.

"Zemo did all of this, the whole bombing and stuff, just to play a video," Tony tried one more time, this time looking at Bucky, who was getting his arm dressed by Natasha as Steve argued with both Everett and Thaddeus Ross inside the conference room.

"Yeah, a video," Bucky confirmed and Tony made a strangled sound in the back of his throat before burying his face in his hands.

"He had YouTube. He had every file sharing site on the internet and he chose to do all this?" Sam asked Natasha who shrugged, like she didn't care about the craziness of the bad guys anymore.

"So let me get this straight," Wanda asked, looking between Tony, Sam and Vision, "Zemo wanted Stark and Steve to fight. Over the video of Tony's parents'..."

"Murder? Yeah," Bucky nodded and Wanda huffed out a slow breath.

"Is he -- is he alright?" Sharon asked with a glance at the shaking shoulders of Tony and Natasha raised an eyebrow before poking Tony in his side.

"OH MY FRICKIN GOD!" Tony laughed hysterically as he came up from his arms and everyone in the vicinity stopped for a moment before getting back to work, "He bombed a UN building so that I would fight Rogers and his buddy over my dead parents. _Oh my God!_ "

"Creative, you've got to admit," Natasha hummed and Tony stared at her through crazy eyes.

"He  _killed people_ to get me to hurt Rogers!"

"Actually, he expected you to kill Stevie," Bucky corrected and Tony shot him a look.

"He could have just gotten Rogers to give another of his 'lectures' and I would have done that!" Tony screeched before clearing his throat at the weird looks he got from Sam and Wanda, "The guy literally bet on me losing my mind all this time. I was his pawn. Me!"

"Not just you," Natasha pointed out, "He also bet that Steve would follow Barnes, as you said he would."

"What is happening to the bad guys around us?!" Tony threw his hands up in the air and Sam shot him a squinted look.

"They're becoming better at playing us?" he guessed and Tony shuddered lightly before burying his head back into his hands.

"Everybody ready to go?" Steve asked as he came out from the conference look with a determined face, before frowning at Tony's hunched form, "What's wrong with Tony?"

"He's a pawn," Wanda said wisely and Steve blinked but Natasha shook her head.

"Okay," Steve said skeptically before clearing his throat, "All charges have been cleared about everyone and we're free to go back. Let's go home?"

Everyone nodded and Natasha prodded at Tony's head till he looked up with a red face and huffed, following her while a hand massaged at his chest.

Steve noted that and frowned but was soon distracted by Sam tugging him along.

The action of Tony rubbing his chest was saved in Steve's brain for later discussion though. For now, he was content in leading his team back home, safe and sound.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a little tired of writing post CACW fics where either Steve or Tony is expected to grovel and apologize to the other. Why not make both of them be smart DURING the movie's sequences? This is the world of fanfiction and we have the freedom, right? SO I'm taking that liberty and doing this so that my team stays frickin together. And then sorts out their problems, which are bound to arise.  
> Feedback please! <3


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